Lost 18th-century Spanish galleon found near Colombia
Sunday, December 6, 2015 @ 9:15 PM
A SPANISH ship which sank somewhere in the Atlantic in the 18th century has been found off the coast of Colombia, according to the country's president Juan Manuel Santos.
The San José set off from Cartagena de Indias on the northern Colombian shores on June 7, 1708 loaded with treasures pillaged from the New World, captained by Admiral José Fernández de Santillán and heading for Spain.
Textiles, gold, silver and spices were among its lucrative cargo.
A crash with the British ship, The Expedition, captained by Charles Wagner led to a battle between the two and the Spanish galleon sank.
Numerous shipwreck-hunting companies have tried to convince the Colombian government to allow them to search for the San José in exchange for being allowed to keep the treasures on board.
The US firm Sea Search Armada claimed to have found the galleon in 1982, but lost its legal battle against Colombia 29 years later for possession of the precious cargo.
Colombia was being sued for US$17 billion, but won the case in 2011 and did not have to pay.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com